Page 76 of Devil's Bride

“Whenever you’re ready, malyshka.” He holds my hand and squeezes it. “I promise to move at your pace. Always.”

Without a second thought, I pull him up and cup his face in my hands, tracing the line of his jaw with my thumb.

“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “I love you, Alexei.”

His eyes soften even further, a look of pure adoration crossing his features. “And I love you, Irina. More than anything.”

He leans in and holds me in a tight hug. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Irina. I wake up every day thinking of how lucky I am to have you.”

“I think I am the lucky one, Alexei.” It’s truly like living in a movie how much time changes everything. I still can’t believe I despised this man once, and now I feel like he’s my entire world. I can’t live without him, I know it.

“No, I’m the luck one.”

As we stand there, wrapped up in each other’s arms, a sense of peace settles over me. I close my eyes and allow myself to simply be in this moment, grateful for the love that surrounds me and the hope that glimmers on the horizon.

Epilogue

Alexei

Seven months later…

The nurse whispers something in Irina’s ear and she shakes her head, choking on a strangled laugh that sounds more like a sob. She's panting, taking deep breaths in and out, whimpering, and mumbling, “I don’t want to do this...” over and over again, until I think I might shoot something just to make the pain stop.

“Are you ready?”

“Again?” Her head lolls back on the pillow, and I see the shiny teardrop roll down her cheek. She shakes her head again. “I don’t think I can do this...”

“You can.”

I’m not sure who says it first, the nurse or me.

She angles her head to the side, looking over the doctor’s shoulder, and I suddenly remember that I’m in the room.

Many times, I’ve watched the sun set over ice-topped mountains or rise over the city. But never have I seen a sight more beautiful than this.

Warm rays stream in through the hospital’s windows, creating the most unreal view as they fall on her sweaty, red face, damp hair stuck to her forehead.

A smile curves her lips and, for the first time in two hours, her eyes light up. “You’re still here.”

I move closer to the edge of the bed, sit by her side, and trace strands of hair away from her eyes. “Where else would I be?”

“I don’t know. I thought you’d fled the room.” She adjusts only slightly, enough to lean an arm on my thigh. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did.”

I open my mouth and...another intense wave of contractions hit.

Her fingers dig into my thigh, and I hold her. I hold with every shred of desperation in me, not wanting to let go. Her face contorts with effort, and I hear myself counting each moment with the nurse.

“You...You look like you’re having an out-of-body experience,” she laughs, and cries at the same time.

I lace our fingers together and kiss the back of her hand. “How do you know that when you can’t even see me?”

She tries to speak but a scream tears from her throat instead. The room fills with the sounds of her heavy breathing and the baby’s steady heartbeat on the monitor. With each push, I feel more entangled in the reality that this is happening. I’m really going to be a father. I hear one loud grunt, before a small head emerges, followed by a tiny body in the doctor’s hands. Then, a shrill cry which fills the room.

The doctor looks up, blue eyes brimming with joy above the mask, and announces, “It’s a baby girl!”

I watch as the nurse wraps her—our baby—and places her in Irina’s arms. With tears, she takes her, cradles her in her arms, gazes into her tiny eyes, and places a soft kiss on her small nose.

Tears fill my eyes as I lean towards my wife and daughter. “Hey, little one,” I whisper.

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